The MIHS Boys Soccer team lost against the Liberty Patriots in a 1-3 defeat, eliminating them from potential advancement to the State competition.
It was the finale of a win-or-go-home match as the Islanders had previously lost Wednesday night’s game against Lake Washington, which provided the opportunity to immediately qualify for state.
This brought their overall win-loss record to 8-5 in their regular season, placing them first place in the KingCo District standings.
“They left it all out on the field and I couldn’t make my promise with the boys. Every single one of them played their cards out and that’s all I can give. That I’m proud of every single one of them,” head coach Fikay Abolade said.
The game began with a large crowd, cheering for the Islanders as they got close to scoring a goal for the team. Regardless, the game remained scoreless until a minute before halftime when junior Nick Chou scored the first goal, leading the team with adrenaline and the crowd boasting head-on.
The first half consisted of multiple sub-ins, saves, and a goal from Liberty, finishing off with Mercer Island in a tie of 1-1.
The second half started aggressively, however, at the 65-minute mark, Liberty scored at a faster pace, putting the Islanders down 2-1. Freshman Mathias Perrenound had an opportunity to score but unfortunately missed the shot, followed by junior Julian Peters missing the shot in the same situation.
Nevertheless, the second half was unexpected as a yellow card was given to Liberty twice after their rowdy behavior towards the Islanders.
Unfortunately, Liberty took the final goal, ending the game with Mercer Island being down by 1-3.
Despite the loss, the Islanders have made it this far in the season, knowing that they achieved many victories till the very end.
This season was only the beginning, as the coaches feel that there was more to this story.
“There’s so much in this program from top to bottom, I’m 100% confident that we’ll be there at the top level,” Abolade said. “I’m just proud of every single senior in this team, especially the Class of 2023, proud of them.”
The MIHS Boys Soccer team will hope to make a strong appearance for their next season, determined to climb back up the competition.
